After a quarter-century of archaeological excavation, the ancient city of Pompeiopolis in northern Türkiye’s Kastamonu province is being prepared for public access, with researchers describing the site as one of the most significant emerging cultural tourism destinations in the historic Paphlagonia region.
Located on Zımbıllı Hill in the Taşköprü district, Pompeiopolis once served as the capital of the Roman province of Paphlagonia.
Excavations, officially launched in 2006 on behalf of the Culture and Tourism Ministry and supported by the Taşköprü Municipality, are currently being led by Mevlüt Eliüşük of the Archaeology Department at Karabük University.
The latest findings and restoration efforts were presented during the 17th Kastamonu City Museum Science Days, organized as part of Museums Week events held between May 18 and 24.
Taşköprü Mayor Hüseyin Arslan said the site had now reached the stage of being presented as an official destination.
“The discoveries made since 2006 show that Pompeiopolis is becoming a highly valuable point for tourism,” Arslan said, noting that excavations continue across several areas of the city, including the theater, a large Roman villa decorated with mosaics, market areas and sections believed to have been used for worship.
Archaeologists working at the site say the ancient city has suffered extensive destruction over the centuries, with many structures damaged after being repurposed as lime or stone quarries. Despite this, excavation teams have accelerated efforts over the last four years to both preserve the remains and prepare the site for visitors.
Eliüşük said excavations at the Roman theater and adjacent odeon, or music hall, had largely been completed. Restoration and conservation projects for the theater have already received official approval, with implementation expected once funding is secured.
The theater also yielded one of the site’s most important discoveries: a statue linked to Roman Emperor Commodus and an inscription dating the structure to A.D. 186, making it one of the few precisely dated monuments in the Paphlagonia region.
Researchers are also focusing on a sprawling Roman villa measuring roughly 47 by 35 meters, occupied between the third and seventh centuries. The structure contains mosaics, decorative marble wall reliefs imported from Italy and a specially designed chamber.
Conservation teams, including Italian specialists, have been working to stabilize and restore the mosaics, many of which had deteriorated due to earlier unsuccessful restoration attempts. Protective roofing has already been installed over parts of the villa to prevent further damage, while officials hope to fully open the complex for exhibition if additional funding becomes available this year.
Among the site’s most intriguing discoveries is a partially excavated “martyrion,” a structure associated with Christian martyr cults and pilgrimage traditions. Eliüşük said the building may have functioned as a Christian shrine or burial site.
Authorities are now preparing a comprehensive visitor route through the ancient city. Plans include a new welcome center, exhibition spaces and walking paths connecting key landmarks, including the villa, basilica, baths, theater, odeon and martyrion.
Archaeologist Murat Karasalihoğlu described Paphlagonia as one of Anatolia’s least explored archaeological regions, noting that limited excavations in Inner Paphlagonia have left many historical questions unanswered.
